Ko Threat

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  Difficulty: Beginner   Keywords: Ko

A ko threat (Japanese: ko-date) is a move which threatens something. They are used in ko fights: when there is a ko which you are not allowed to immediately retake, you can play a ko threat. This should force your opponent to answer, after which you can retake the ko, and now it is your opponent's turn to find a ko threat.

For a clearer and more extensive explanation, see ko threats - basic. See also Local Ko Threat.


Example

[Diagram]

Example (4 retakes ko)

Here is the basic idea of what is a ko threat. Suppose B1 takes the ko. White cannot retake the ko immediately, but white can atari at W2. If B3 chooses not to sacrifice three stones, then because white has already played a move away from the ko, W4 can retake the ko. Of course, B3 can choose to connect the ko, but black will have to pay the price of losing three stones.

In this diagram, W2 is the ko threat.


Kris Rhodes: I want to insert a comment here for any relative beginners to the game before you get to the slightly complicated comments which follow on this page.

I think the simplest way to explain a ko threat is to say it is a place on the board where, if you could get two moves in a row, you would win a lot of points. So, if a ko situation happens, and you want to win that ko, then you can play the first of the above-mentioned two moves (which need have no direct relationship to the actual area of the ko fight situation itself). You hope that this will demand a response by your opponent in that area of the board, and the ko will remain available for you to retake.


Technicalities


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This is a copy of the living page "Ko Threat" at Sensei's Library.
(OC) 2004 the Authors, published under the OpenContent License V1.0.
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